Northwestern hasn't had much luck against Barron recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Tigers will look to defend their home court against the Golden Bears at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Northwestern proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by three) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Unity 3-2.
Northwestern was staring down a 2-1 deficit headed into the fourth set, but they rallied to take the next two for the win. The final score came out to 13-25, 25-18, 17-25, 25-14, 17-15.
Genna Kreuser
| 09/23/25 @ Unity | 18 |
| 09/18/25 vs Ladysmith | 11 |
| 09/16/25 @ Rice Lake | 14 |
| 09/09/25 vs Amery | 6 |
| 09/09/25 vs Clear Lake | 14 |
| + 8 more games |
Northwestern's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Genna Kreuser, who had 18 digs and three aces. With that strong performance, Kreuser is now averaging an impressive 10.5 digs per game. Lauren Zifko was another key player, getting 12 digs and one assist.
Meanwhile, Barron made easy work of Cumberland on Tuesday and carried off a 3-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Golden Bears in their matchups with the Beavers: they've now won five in a row.
The 3-0 score doesn't show just how dominant Barron was: they took every set by at least 12 points. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-7, 25-6, 25-13.
Northwestern better focus on containing Abby Miller and Xendra Jilek as the pair were huge in Barron's win. Miller had nine digs and two aces, while Jilek had nine digs and two aces. That's the most digs Jilek has posted since back in August. Isabell Donica also deserves some recognition as she posted her first assist of the season.
Northwestern's win bumped their record up to 9-4. As for Barron, their victory bumped their record up to 20-3.
Northwestern couldn't quite get it done against Barron in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 as they fell 3-1. Will the Tigers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other volleyball content.
